Dielectric properties, heating rate, and heating uniformity of wheat flour with added bran associated with radio frequency treatments

The purpose of the study was to determine influences of dielectric properties (DPs) on radio frequency (RF) heating rate and uniformity and provide essential information for developing effective pasteurization processes of wheat flour. DPs of the wheat flour as a function of frequency, moisture content (MC), wheat bran content (WBC) and temperature were determined using an impedance analyzer. A 27.12 MHz, 6 kW pilot-scale RF system at an electrode gap of 100 mm was used to evaluate the heating rate and temperature distribution in each wheat flour-bran mixture. The results showed that DPs of wheat flour increased with increasing temperature and MC but with decreasing WBC due to high fat content in wheat bran, and their relationship can be represented by cubic or quadratic models. The heating rate of wheat flour decreased first and then increased with increase in MC while decreased with decreasing WBC due to the increasing difference between dielectric constant (epsilon') and loss factor (epsilon ''). Decreased WBC also resulted in decreasing uniformity index (lambda) value. Reducing MC and WBC in wheat flour-bran mixtures could help to improve RF heating uniformity.